Concentrating and amalgamating machine.



No. 759,153. v PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

P. J. BONNINGTON. GONGBNTRATING AND AMALGAMATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1900. v 7

H0 MODEL. 4 BHBE'ISSHBET l.

ill/#7656 No. 759,153. v PATENTED MAY 3, 1904. F. J. BONNINGTON.

I GONOENTRATING AND AMALGAMATINGMAGHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 20, 1900.

no MODEL. 4 SHBBTSSHEET 2.

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No. 759,153. PATENTBD MAY 3, 1904. F. J. BONNINGTON. GONGENTRATING AND AMALGAMATING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2() 1900. K0 MODEL. 4 $HEE'1S-SHBBT 3.

No. 759,153. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904. F. J. BONNINGTON.

GONGENTRATING AND AMALGAMATING MACHINE.

v APPLIOATION FILED APR. 20, 1900. H0 110mm. 4 smnTs snnnT 4.

UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CONCENTRATING AND AMALGAMATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,153, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed April 20, 1990.

To a, w/wm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. BONNINGTON, a-subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concentrating and Amalgamating Machines; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to concentrators and amalgamators, and has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and compact machine at comparatively low cost adapted to economically concentrate and amalgamate; and it consists of the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through my improved machine; Fig. 2, a perspective view of one of the trays removed from the box and partly broken away; Fig. 3, a detail perspective of one of the combs for the center line of the steps; Fig. 4, a similar view of one of the combs for the edge line of the steps; Fig. 5, a vertical section on the line :1: m, Fig. 1, with the water-tank partly broken away; Fig. 6, a plan view, partly broken away, of the machine; Fig. 7, a detail perspective showing a modified form of amalgam-plate; Fig. 8, a plan view of a concentrating fabric with amalgam-plate; Fig. 9, a vertical section on the line ;1 y, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view of the steps and combs, and Fig. 11 a detail view of the grooved gate for the hop per and adjacent'parts.

Similar numerals and letters refer to similar parts throughout all the views.

The foundation for the machine may be constructed in any desired or convenientiirm and substantial manner and, as shown, consists of the posts 2, to which are secured the horizontal beams 3. The machine is supported on the beams 3 by cross'beams 1, which connect the side frames 5 of the machine. At the front or feed end of the machine the vertical side pieces 6 are secured to the side frames to Serial No. 18,610. (No model.)

form a 1 support for the hopper and watertank at the proper elevation. The hopper consists of an inclined bottom 7, secured, by cleats 8 or otherwise, between the upper ends of the side pieces 6; the wall 9, secured to the edges of the said side pieces and terminating at a point above the lower end of the bottom 7 in order to form a dischargc-opening, and a gate 10, adapted to slide vertically in grooves formed in the side pieces 6 or between cleats secured to said side pieces to cover and uncover the discharge-opening between the hopper-bottom and the end of the wall 9. The bottom 7 of the hopper may be extended to form the bottom of the inclined spout or chute 11, or said chute may be made separately from said bottom 7 and attached to the frame in any desired manner, the upper part of the spout having an opening 1, through which Across the the water may enter the same. top of the hopper is arranged a grizzly 12 to exclude from the same boulders or large gravel which may he in the material being fed to the hopper. The hopper is divided into three compartments by partitions 13, each of which is provided with a separate spout or discharge-chute 11, and within each compartment an inclined shield or hood 14 is secured to prevent the clogging of the mouth of the water-pipes 15, which open into said compartments. The water-pipes 15 extend through the wall 9 of the hopper and discharge into the compartments when the gate 10 is raised, the latter being grooved vertically, as at 29, at points opposite the ends of the pipes 15 in order to permit of the free flow of water therefrom when the latter is turned on and the gate is lowered to cut off the flow of material from the hopper. The pipes 15 are provided with cocks 16 to control the flow of water, and said pipes extend to and connect with a tank 17, secured to the outer face of the, wall 9, which is supplied with water through a pipe 18,0ntering said tank at about midway its height and leading from a boiler or any desired convenient source of supply. The upper end of the tank extends beyond the hopper, and from it the pipes 19 project, one for each compartment of the hopper, the under sides of said pipes being perforated in order to permit the water to escape therefrom in jets or as a spray onto the material lying on or being fed through the grizzly to the hopper. The-water is fed steadily through the pipes'19 and sprayed therefrom until the water in the tank falls below the level of the pipes. i

The amalgamating-box consists of the sides which are supported on rails 28, secured to the inner faces of the sides 5 of the machine, and form a track for'the rollers. Within the amalgamating-box the trays over' which the material passes are arranged one above the other, as will be described. Each tray is made in the form-of an oblong square, on the inner surface of the longer sides 30 of which are fastened racks 31,having their upper edges cut in step-like form, as at 32, to receive a series of boards which are secured thereon and form the steps 33, the surfaces of which are perfectly level, and on said steps are placed the amalgam-plates, carpet, burlap, or whatever material it is found desirable to use. Each tray is divided into three compartments by partitions 34, cut on their lower edges to conform to the surface of the steps and fastened vto the ends of the tray in any desiredmanner. To the inner surface of the sides of the tray are secured in any convenient manner metal strips or plates 35, the lower edges of which are cut, as at 36, to conform to the surfaces of the steps over the ends of which they are arranged. The strips or plates35 extend over all the steps except the first step of the series of steps in the top tray and serve to hold the said steps securely in place. In the strips or plates 35 oblong openings 37 are formed at points in line with the edges of the steps, and similar openings 38 are formed therein at points in line with the centers of said steps, and corresponding openings 39 and 40 are formed in thepartitions 34. A separating-comb 41, (see Fig. 3,) consisting of ametal bar having straight downwardly-extending teeth 42, preferably three in number, is arranged in line longitudinally with the center of each step in each compartment and has its ends sprung into the openings 38 and 40 in the plates 35 and partitions 34, respectively, and combs 43, (see Fig. 4,) consisting of a metal bar having downwardly-projecting teeth 44, the ends of which are bent upwardly and then at right angles, so as to project over the edges of the steps, are arranged in line with the edges of'the steps and have their ends sprung into the openings 37 and 39 of the plates and partitions, respectively, said combs 41 and 43 being arranged alternately in the compartments of the tray. The combs 41 serve to disintegrate and cut the material passing over the steps into streams and cause it to pass in regular cut streams evenly distributed in thickness, and thus prevent bunching or massing of the material and slopping of the same from one step to another, and the said combs also serve to check any tendency to rise on the part of the amalgamating plates or mats which cover the steps, as will be described. The combs 43 are preferably provided with four teeth, which extend down and in contact with the edges of the steps and have their bent ends projecting over the edge of the next preceding step and onto its surface, thus preventing any possibility of the carpet or mat on said step rising or sliding forward. The teeth of the combs 41 are so arranged on their bars as to lie when in posi tion in a direct imaginary line running between the teeth of the combs 43. It will be understood that any desired number of combs 41 may be employed on each step. The first or receiving step a of each series of steps of each tray is of greater width than the other steps of the series, the difference in width being equal to the open space 6 between the end of the last step of the series of steps and the rear end wall of the tray through which the material passes from one tray to the other. The separating-combs are omitted from the steps at of each tray in order to obviate any liabilityof the material clogging thereon. The trays are arranged one above the other in the box and in reverse order, the top tray having its first or receiving step a immediately under the chute or spout 11 and the last or end step thereof terminating immediately over the receiving-step a of the tray next below, which is reversed lengthwise, as

are each of the succeeding trays in the box. The last or bottom tray rests on the crossbars 26 and supports the trays above, the up- .per and lower edges of the sides and ends of the trays being rabbeted, as shown, to make a close and secure joint between them. The end of the cover 22 for the box adjacent the hopper is cut away in order to permit of the arrangement of the vertical partitions 47 on the receiving-step a of the top tray and the splash-board 48, having ends 49, the partitions serving to divide the space to correspond to the compartments of the hopper and trays and the board 48 to prevent the splashing of the material out of the box. The splashboard does not extend down to the step a, a

spaced being left, so that the material may pass forward to thenext step of the series. The steps are covered with a suitable concentrating or amalgamating material such as carpet, burlap, or other coarse fabric, or copper plates, according to the character of the material being treated and the fineness of the values contained thereinor some of the steps may be covered with a fabric and others with amalgam-plates, or one or more steps may be partly covered with a fabric and partly with an amalgam plate or plates. In some of the beach-sands of the Pacific coast platinum is present, and as the specific gravity of this metal is greater than that of gold it can be saved by my machine by the use of a covering of carpet, burlap, or other coarse fabric, which will also concentrate the coarse particles of gold. \V here the gold occurs in soil or other light material, it can be concentrated in my machine by the use of fabric alone, as it will be caught in the mesh of fiber of the fabric, and as the steps are perfectly level and without inclination in any direction to invite escape there is no tendency whatever of the gold to gravitate either forwardly or rearwardly.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show a covering for a step consisting of a fabric 15, from which an elongated square piece has been removed and a copper plate 16 substituted, thus combining in one step of the tray both the concentrating and amalgamating methods of saving values. g

It is my intention to use five trays to each box and to cover the steps of the first three with carpet or other suitable fabric and the steps of the two remaining trays with amalgamplates, except when separating on very fine pulp, ordinary sand-bars, or sea-sand carrying a large percentage of iron, when a limited number of steps in the last two trays will be covered with carpet or burlap alone to save by concentration what platinum or other non-amalgamating values may be present.

In Fig. 7 I show an amalgamating-plate 5O stamped from a single sheet of copper to correspond to the shape of the steps, so that it may be readily placed in position on the steps where it is desired to wholly cover the same with amalgam-plates.

The amalgamating-box is reciprocated back and forth by means of an eccentric 51, fixed upon a shaft 52, having its bearings in the side pieces 5 of the frame, and connected by ring and strap 58 to the beam 26 at the bottom of the box. The shaft 52 is driven by means of a belt 54, running from a fast pulley 55 on the shaft 56, also having its bearings in the side pieces 5, which in turn is rotated by a belt 57, running from a fly-wheel 58, mounted on a driving-shaft 59, journaled on the engine-bed and driven by the link or rod 61, connected to the piston-rod of the engine. A belt 62, running from a pulley 63 on the shaft 56, drives a shaft6 1 to operate the endless apron 65 for conveying off the tailings delivered thereto by the chute 66, extending from the frame.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The engine being started, the box is reciprocated back and forth by the means described,

and the gate of the hopper being raised the material to be treated is dumped onto the grizzly 12, through which it is screened to the hopper. The material is sprayed by water from the pipes 19 while on the grizzly, and as it passes down the inclined bottom of the hopper the streams of water from the pipes 15 wash it into the spouts or chutes 11 and onto the first step a of the first tray of the series of trays in the box, where, by reason of the reciprocation of the box, it is brought into contact with the forward end wall of the tray and is then precipitated onto the second step of the tray, and this operation is continued until the material leaves the last step of the top tray and falls through the space 5 upon the first step of the second tray of the series, which is reversed lengthwise to the said top tray, the steps running downward and forward to the feed end of the box. In the top, middle, and bottom trays the material is precipitated by the rearward motion of the box. In the second and fourth trays the material is precipitated by the forward motion of the box; During the passage of the material over the trays the teeth of the combs cut it into streams and disintegrate and distribute it evenly over the surface of the steps and prevent it slopping from one step to another. From the last or bottom tray the tailings are discharged onto the chute 66 and delivered to the buckets of the apron to be carried to the dump. The free flow of the water from the pipes 15 is provided for when the gate 10 is lowered by grooving the outer face of said gate at points opposite the pipes, so that the water therefrom may pass through the spout or chute 11 and into the box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A tray for concentrators and amalgamators comprising a series of level horizontal steps arranged one after the other in progressively lower planes, combs having depending teeth arranged over saidsteps transverse the tray, and combs arranged in line with the edges of said steps and having their teeth extending below the plane of said steps and bent to overlap the same.

2. A tray for concentrators and amalgamators comprising a frame, stepped racks secured to side pieces of said frame, level, horizontal steps having a suitable concentrating covering-thereon arranged on said raeks,strips or plates havingrtheir lower edges stepped to correspond to the surfaces of said steps and secured over the ends of the same, combs having vertical teeth arranged in line with the centers of said steps, and combs having teeth turned at right angle arranged in line with the edges of said steps and projecting thereover. 7

3. The combination, in a concentrator and amalgamator, of a hopper having an inclined TlO bottom, a gate for the discharge-opening of said hopper, a Water-tank secured to said hopper, a pipe having a perforated under side projecting from said tank and over said hopper, and a pipe projecting from said tank and discharging into said hopper above the discharge-opening thereof.

4. The combination, in a concentrator and amalgamator, of a hopper, a grizzly arranged over said. hopper, a Water-tank, a perforated pipe projecting from said Water-tank and discharging onto said grizzly, a Water-pipe extending from said tank and discharging through the front Wall of said hopper, and a shield arranged above the outlet of said pipe.

5. The combination, in a concentrator and FRANCIS BONNINGTON.

Witnesses: v

A. D. HANKS, M. OREILLY. 

